The Bible in American Schools.—Mr W. S. Fleming, writing in the “Christian Statesman,” gives an interesting account of the attitude of various States in America to the reading of the Bible in the public schools. In twelve States, with a population of 23 millions, the Bible is banned or, at least, not read in the schools. The officials who are responsible for this state of matters, we are told, number only about thirty. The State of Illinois excludes the Bible on the ground that it is a “sectarian book.” In the States of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and probably Mississippi the Bible is read by law every morning in every schoolroom. In addition to these, the Bible is used every morning in all the schools of New York City, Washington, D.C.; and Indianapolis. The population of the above States and Cities is about 30 millions. In regard to the practice in the remaining 29 States Mr Fleming sums it up as follows:—1. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida report that the use of the Bible in their schools is almost universal. 2. Delaware, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Colorado use the Bible quite extensively. 3. The Book is little used in the schools of Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri, Wyoming, and Texas, the reason for the slight use in the first three probably being the wide-spread belief in those States that its use is forbidden. 4. The Bible is not used in the schools of Oregon.”
The First Bible Printed in Scotland.—The first Bible printed in Scotland, says “The Bible in the World,” was issued complete in 1579. In the same year, by Act of Parliament, every gentleman, householder, and others “worth thrie hundreth merkis of yeirlie rent or abone,” and every yeoman and burgess with five hundred pounds, had to provide, under a penalty of ten pounds, “a bible and psalme buke in vulgare language in thair houssis for the better instruction of thame selfis and thair famelijs in the knawledge of God.” And to see that the provisions of this law were carried into effect, the following year a searcher was appointed with power to visit the houses of those signified by the Act, “and to require the sicht of their Psalmes Buikis and Bybillis.”
Training Children for the Devil.—There are not wanting abundant evidence of the diabolical origin of Sovietism, but it is well that we should have real facts from those who have witnessed what is going on in Russia. Mr Harold Gibson, writing in the “Daily Telegraph,” says:—”One of the most serious aspects of the anti-religious movements is its effect on child life, and in describing the reasons for the absence of childish laughter in Russia I ought possibly to have made more of this. I did not do so, because I do not think that much progress has been made in this direction as yet, though undoubtedly if the campaigns were to continue for any length of time it would have a pathetic effect. No religious teachers are allowed to teach their religion to children under 18 years of age, and efforts are being made to rob the children of any faith which they have. The ridiculous nature of some of these efforts was described to me by two teachers in an elementary school in Moscow. The children in this school had naturally been taught to pray, but now they were to be taught that prayer to God is nonsense, because no God exists.”
Romeward Drifting in the Church of England.—The decided drift towards Rome by thousands in the Church of England is filling true Protestants, not only in that denomination but outside of it, with feelings of real concern. The movement for an alternative Prayer Book in which many of the Roman practices are recognised is ominous owing to the want of opposition offered to them by the Episcopal bench or where opposition is offered it is of the Laodicean type. Personally, we feel the best revision of the Prayer Book would be to get rid of it altogether, but as it is recognised by the law, it is to be hoped that any revision that will be made will not strengthen the position of the Romanisers in the Church of England. Dr Knox, formerly Bishop of Manchester, in a letter to Evangelicals in the Church of England, thus summarises the nature of the proposed changes if adopted:—”What will happen to the service of the Holy Communion. A deliberate attempt will be made to turn the Communion into a Mass. All the proposed alterations in the alternative Prayer Book will strengthen the idea of the Mass at the expense of the idea of Holy Communion. If these alterations take effect the priest will be robed in Mass vestments. The Prayer of Consecration will be altered so as to make it the offering upon the altar, the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ. No restraint is placed on elevation, genuflexions, incense, lights, and ringing of bells—though it was on condition of such restrictions that Bishop Handley Moule consented to the vestments. Non-communicating attendance is made easier. Reservation of the elements will become lawful, with the knowledge that it will be used, for the very practices which Prayer Book revision set out ‘to make it cease.'”